The Gargoyles of Notre Dame
by Greg Walters.
Book 2 of The Gargoyles of Notre Dame.
This was a really good read. It took a little while to get into it. But once I did I really enjoyed it. I also had to get used to the writing style. I loved the cover of this book. That's why I requested it. I did like Henri and Catia. I haven't read book one. But I will look into it. I do hope there is more to come.

Blurb.
Revolution burns. Love falters. And the fate of a nation hangs in the balance.

France, 1791. Two years after the fall of the Bastille, the streets of Paris are thick with hope and unrest. The dream of liberty has been awakened, but the monarchy still stands, and peace feels like a fading illusion.

Henri, a gifted stonemason caught between two worlds, is reeling from the murder of his mentor, Mirabeau. Haunted by loss and driven by love, he longs only to build a quiet future with Catia, the fierce revolutionary who stole his heart. But Catia is no longer free. Revered by the people as a symbol of resistance, she is trapped by the very ideals she helped ignite.

As factions clash and loyalties are tested, Henri and Catia make a fateful choice that could upend not just their lives but the fragile future of France itself.

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The Gargoyles of Notre Dame 2 is a sequel to (no surprise!) The Gargoyles of Notre Dame. From the way this book ended, I assume there will be a third volume, making it a trilogy.
This second part of Greg Walter's alternate history of the French Revolution begins two years after the storming of the Bastille. Henri, the former stonemason, has become obsessed with identifying and punishing the killer of his mentor, Count Mirabeau. Catia, the former baroness, has become legendary for her part in the uprising. Known as Catia Liberte, she has traveled throughout France as a symbol of the Revolution and returns to work with Robespierre as an unofficial part of the National Assembly.
The young friends have parted without confessing their feelings for each other. While Catia remains in Paris, Henri and his gargoyle, Nyron, assume a very different role.
Like most sequels, this one lacks some of the freshness of the first book, but it is still highly readable. I enjoyed learning more about the French Revolution and I loved the bond between Henri and Nyron. The gargoyles are unique characters, both funny and heroic.
While I dislike cliffhanger endings, this was an entertaining read and I look forward to the next installment.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Greg Walters for granting me access to a free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks go to Book Whisperer for an ARC of this book.

Did you ever read a sequel and regret not reading the first book again as a refresher? Well, I didn't feel that at all with this sequel. I enjoyed the first book in the series and knew that I would grab the sequel as soon as it was available. This book picks up awhile after the first one ended, but the transition is seamless. Within the first few pages, I had a full recall as to what happened in the first book and was swept up in the new intrigue.

One of the things that I enjoy so much about these books is the historical detail woven into the story. And just as much so, I enjoy reading the true history that is included at the end of the book (even the glossary was a fun addition). Although the book is a magical, fantastical tale, the research needed to fold the story into the history of France is evident.

I am captivated by Henri and Catia. You can feel their connection to each other, but you also see the way they pursue the revolution on their different fronts. This book is full of battles of both wits and hands. It is as bloody as history. But there are characters that are gems, and I can't help but want to follow their stories.

I was just as excited at the end of the book as I was at the beginning. I was left wanting more .... and now I anxiously await the next book in the series!